Torque wrench for dental implants

Abstract

A manually-operated, adjustable dental implant torque wrench employs a screw holding sheath for placing a dental screw in a mouth of a patient. A handle offset to avoid opposite teeth to the work area is provided with a bevel gear and pinion set to translate the turning motion from a straight turning shaft in the handle to a perpendicular screw turning head. An assortment of replaceable snap-fit screw turning heads fits the various types of dental screws. An easy turn T-shaped handle with a pivotable turning knob is controlled by a torque limiting device.

1. A torque wrench device for dental implants comprising:
 a dental implant torque wrench comprising a gripping handle having an elongated straight gripping portion and an angled offset portion at a distal end to avoid contact with one set of the sets of upper and lower teeth while working on the other, the gripping handle having an interior passageway throughout the length of the gripping handle, a rotatable shaft housed rotatably in the straight gripping portion of the gripping handle, a rotatable handle extending from the gripping handle at a proximal end of the rotatable shaft for turning the rotatable shaft, the rotatable handle having a means for controlling torque to limit an amount of torque applied by the rotatable handle, a turning facilitating element rotatably attached to the rotatable handle for ease of turning with a single hand, a screw turning head extending from the angled offset portion at the distal end of the gripping handle perpendicular to the gripping portion, a bevel gear and pinion set housed within the interior passageway in the angled offset portion at the distal end of the gripping handle, the bevel gear and pinion set translating pivotal motion of the rotatable shaft to the screw turning head for tightening and loosening dental screws in a mouth of a patient, a screw gripping element extending from the distal end of the gripping handle adjacent to the screw turning head, the screw gripping element structured to retain a dental screw for placing the dental screw in a proper location in a mouth of a patient and structured to release the dental screw in place in a mouth of a patient with the screw turning head contacting the dental screw, the screw gripping element comprising a transparent screw retaining sheath extending from the distal end of the gripping handle, the screw retaining sheath surrounding the screw turning head and extending beyond an outer end of the screw turning head in a first position to retain a dental screw in the screw retaining sheath and the screw retaining sheath and screw turning head being movable relative to each other so that when the dental screw is positioned in a proper location in a mouth of a patient relative movement of the screw retaining sheath and the screw turning head leaves the screw turning head extending out beyond the screw retaining sheath in a second position to release a dental screw with the screw turning head contacting the dental screw so that the screw turning head is positioned to screw the dental screw into a desired location in a mouth of a patient with the rotatable handle turning the screw turning head through the rotatable shaft and the bevel gear and pinion set to screw in the dental screw to a desired torque level. 
 
   
   
     2. The device of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable handle comprises a T-shaped handle rigidly attached to the proximal end of the rotatable shaft with each of two ends of the T-shaped handle extending orthogonally from the rotatable shaft and the turning facilitating element rotatably attached to the rotatable handle comprises a gripping pin pivotally attached orthogonally to one end of the T-handle for gripping the gripping pin to turn the T-handle. 
   
   
     3. The device of  claim 1  wherein the screw retaining sheath is retractable and extensible relative to the screw turning head. 
   
   
     4. The device of  claim 1  wherein the screw turning head is retractable and extensible relative to the screw turning head. 
   
   
     5. The device of  claim 1  further comprising a textured gripping surface around the straight gripping portion of the gripping handle to enable secure gripping under wet conditions during screw installation in a mouth of a patient. 
   
   
     6. The device of  claim 1  wherein the screw turning head is snap fit into the dental implant torque wrench for easy replacement and an assortment of replaceable screw turning head are provided each with different working ends to match a wide variety of different dental screws.